North Bank resident helps clear the air

By Scott Rawdon

BUCKEYE LAKE – Sometimes the best way to get rid of a stink is to raise one. Judy Tabash, who frequently visits Buckeye Lake Village, said she noticed a sewer smell wafting about North Bank Road that “really became horrible. Many complaints have been registered over the years, but never any results.” Tabash said a friend came to the rescue. “Patricia Escobar, a friend of mine who owns a house on North Bank, has assisted greatly in resolving this matter,” she said. “This is something where I’m sure many people have noticed the difference and are wondering what finally solved this matter.”

Escobar, a Columbus resident, said she spends a lot of time in her North Bank Road home, which happens to sit close to a Licking County Water and Wastewater pump station. “It was really, really bad,” she said. “You couldn’t enjoy being outdoors.” Escobar said there were some temporary solutions, but the bad smell persisted. She said some of her neighbors were complaining about it, so she contacted Licking County Water and Wastewater Director Kevin Eby. “He was really nice,” said Escobar, adding that Eby explained to her how the pump station worked, and then he contacted Licking County Commissioner Duane Flowers. “He immediately went into action.” She said Eby worked with Flowers to find a solution.

“It had been an ongoing problem, probably for years,” said Eby. He said the unit close to Escobar’s home is basically an open well pump station, which would occasionally emit foul-smelling hydrogen sulfide. Eby said he and his crew installed a charcoal filtration system that was inexpensive and somewhat improvised. “We did it with in-house staffing,” he said.

Eby said the device forces escaping hydrogen sulfide through a charcoal filter. “It seems to be doing great,” he said.

Escobar agrees. “It makes it so much nicer,” she said. “Before, we never really went to the right person.”

“I’m so thrilled to be at Buckeye Lake now visiting,” said Tabash. “And, it is so refreshing not to be bombarded with that horrible odor.”